Lucasfilm Still Looking at Developing STAR WARS: UNDERWORLD TV Series and 1313 Video Game
Before Disney bought Lucasfilm and took over the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas had two major projects in development. One was a TV drama called Star Wars: Underworld and the other was a video game called Star Wars 1313. Many fans assumed these projects were dead, but as it turns out, Lucasfilm is very much looking at still developing those!
The news comes from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy who was asked about the Star Wars: Underworld project by /Film during a press event. This is what Kennedy told them:
"Interestingly enough, that's an area we’ve spent a lot of time, reading through the material that he developed is something we very much would like to explore. And there was 1313 the game, where there was…unbelievable. So our attitude is, we don’t want to throw any of that stuff away. It’s gold. And it’s something we’re spending a lot of time looking at, pouring through, discussing, and we may very well develop those things further. We definitely want to."
This is extremely exciting to hear because I was pumped up about seeing both of these come to life. Lucas was working on Star Wars: Underworld for years! He wanted it to be a 400 episode series, and before the project was put on hold, he reportedly already had 100 completed scripts.
The series was to be set in the Coruscant underworld between Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. It was going to be a gangster drama that was likened to Deadwood and The Godfather in space. It was also described as being The Empire Strikes Back on steroids. Lucasfilm producer Rick McCallum previously discussed the project:
Basically, it is like The Godfather; it’s the Empire slowly building up its power base around the galaxy, what happens in Coruscant, which is the major capital, and it’s a group of underground bosses who live there and control drugs, prostitution.
There was also a rumor that the show would have involved time travel and killing Darth Vader. That report offered the following info:
One of the series' first episodes will involve a group of bandits acquiring the capability of time travel, and using it to travel back in time to stop Darth Vader from ever existing.
Crazy, right? This show would have been a very dark and gritty adult-style series. It was inspired by the noir films of the 1940s. It's awesome to know that Lucasfilm might actually make it a reality one day. They'd be crazy if they don't! Maybe it's one of those shows that they'd take to Netflix.
Then there's the Star Wars 1313 game that everyone was waiting for! That thing would have been incredible! In the game, players would take on the role of a bounty hunter in the underworld city of Level 1313. There were rumors that the game would offer details on the early years of Boba Fett. Here's the official description of the game just in case you need a reminder:
As players take control of a lethal bounty hunter in a never-before-seen dark and mature world, Star Wars 1313 introduces an integrated development approach by bringing together great artists across the Lucasfilm organization, including LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. and Skywalker Sound. A third person cinematic action adventure game, Star Wars 1313 will bring to life the Coruscant underworld, the most dangerous place in the Star Wars™ galaxy.
Named for Level 1313, a ruthless criminal underground deep below the surface of the planet of Coruscant, the game puts players in control of a deadly bounty hunter as he uses an arsenal of exotic weaponry to hunt down his marks and uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy. Star Wars 1313 emphasizes epic set pieces and fast-paced combat with a hero who uses human skills and gadgets, rather than supernatural Force powers, to make his way through this dangerous world.
It's awesome to hear that these to project that fans were excited about seeing aren't dead. There's obviously still a good chance that they could happen! Hopefully, one day, they actually take it to the next level of development.